Electric watch with balance-wheel and hairspring

ABSTRACT

AN ELECTRIC WATCH WITH REGULATOR, BALANCE-WHEEL AND HAIRSPRING COMPRISING A WATCH CASING HAVING A BACK IN WHICH IS PROVIDED AN APERTURE COVERED WITH A REMOVABLE CAP, IN WHICH A SOURCE OF CURRENT CAN BE PUT IN PLACE AND REMOVED THROUGH THE APERTURE, CHARACTERIZED BY A CONTROL MEMBER FOR THE REGULATOR HAVING ITS END SITUATED IN THE IMMEDIATE NEIGHBORHOOD OF THE EDGE OF THE APERTURE IN SUCH A WAY THAT THE CONTROL MEMBER CAN BE REACHABLE THROUGH THE APERTURE, THEREBY PERMITTING ADJUSTING OPERATIONS TO BE CARRIED OUT WITHOUT THE NECESSITY OF DISASSEMBLING THE ELEMENTS OF THE CASING OTHER THAN THE CAP.

' p 28, 1971 J. SCHAAD 3,608,303

ELECTRIC WATCH WITH BALANCE-WHEEL AND HAIRSPRING Filed July 1.4;,1970fl,-T

INVENTOR.

Jean SCHAAD BY WWGQM a 0mm 5 m ditty/s.

United States Patent C 3,608,303 ELECTRIC WATCH WITH BALANCE-WHEEL ANDHAIRSPRING Jean Schaad, Gorgier, Switzerland, assignor to VoumardMachines Co. S.A., Hauterive, Neuchatel, Switzerland Filed July 14,1970, Ser. No. 54,692 Claims priority, application Switzerland, July 15,1969,

4/69 Int. Cl. G04c 3/04 U.S. Cl. 5828R 1 Claim ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE An electric watch with regulator, balance-wheel andhairspring comprising a Watch casing having a back in which is providedan aperture covered with a removable cap, in which a source of currentcan be put in place and removed through the aperture, characterized by acontrol member for the regulator having its end situated in theimmediate neighborhood of the edge of the aperture in such a Way thatthe control member can be reachable through the aperture, therebypermitting adjusting operations to be carried out without the necessityof disassembling the elements of the casing other than the cap.

The present invention relates to an electric watch with regulator,balance-wheel and hairspring in which the source of current is locatedin the same room as the movement, room into it which it can be put inplace and out from which it can be removed through an aperture providedin the back of the casing, which aperture can be closed by means of aremovable cap.

This watch is characterised by the fact that an operating member for theindex or regulator has its extremity situated in the immediateneighbourhood of the said aperture so that the said operating member canbe reached thercthrough, that permits to effect the adjusting operationsof the watch without having to disassemble other elements of the watchcasing than the said cap.

The drawing shows, by way of example, one embodiment of the object ofthe invention.

FIG. 1 is a plan view of a part of an electric watch with some portionshaving been torn away, and

FIG. 2 is a sectional view along line II-II of FIG. 1, at an enlargedscale.

The movement of the electric Watch as represented comprises a base-plate1 carrying a dial 2; this movement is located in a waterproof casingcomprising a back made of one piece with the middle part 3, and a glass4 held in place by a false middle part 5.

The portion 3a of the back and middle part 3, which constitute reallythe back, is provided with a circular aperture permitting to introduceand to remove the electric battery 7 which feeds the movement. Thisaperture is closed by a removable cap 8 mounted on the back by means ofa bayonet fitting, in which are provided two grooves 9 disposed at rightangle to each other, intended to permit to grip the cap by means of adriving member, for instance a coin, permitting to rotate this cap inorder to put it in place and to remove it.

The electric movement of the watch as disclosed and represented has abalance-wheel and a hairspring, the balance-wheel, designated by 10(FIG. 1), is located between the base-plate on the one hand and thebalance cook, designated by 11, on the other hand. The hairspring 12 issecured to a stud-carrier 1'3 rotatably mounted on the cook endstone,designated by 14, this stud-carrier carrying the regulator 15 a tongueof which carries the index pin 16 and the balance spring buckle 17 whichserve to adjust the active length of the hairspring. The regulator 15,which is rotatably mounted on the stud-carrier 13, is provided with atoothed sector 18 meshing with a toothed sector 19 of an annular member20 frictionally and rotatably mounted, like a regulator, on a secondendstone, designated by 21, carried by the balance cock 11. The member20, which serves to operate the regulator 15, is provided with an arm20a extending up to the immediate vicinity of the edge of the aperture 6of the back 3a through which the battery 7 is put in place and removed.

A graduation 22 is indicated on a portion 23 of the base-place whichsurrounds the axial face of a guiding member 23, carried by thebase-plate 1, surrounding the battery 7. This graduation permits todetermine the value of the displacements of the control arm 20a of thecontrol member 20 when one acts on this arm through the open ing 6, thebattery 7 being removed or being let in place. The base-plate 1 carriesthe indication and opposite the graduation 22, which indicate in Whatdirection the arm 20a has to be operated for producing the movement togo faster or slower. These indications show moreover to the operatorthat an adjustment of the watch is possible through the aperture 6, thatdoes not appear at first view since the extremity of the control arm 20ais covered by the back 311.

As a modification, one could have the regulator itself provided with atail extending up to the immediate vicinity of the aperture 6 forpermitting to operate it through this aperture.

Owing to the present arrangement, it is possible to carry out theadjusting operations of the movement, by corresponding displacements ofthe regulator without having to disassemble other elements of the casingthan the cap 8 which closes the partition for the source of electriccurrent.

What I claim is:

1. Electric watch with regulator, balance-wheel and hairspringcomprising a watch casing provided with a back in which is provided anaperture provided with a removable cap, in which a source of current canbe put in place and removed through the said aperture, characterised bya control member for the said regulator having its end situated in theimmediate neighbourhood of the edge of the said aperture in such a waythat the said operating member is reachable through the said aperature,that permits carrying out the adjusting operations without having todisassemble other elements of the casing than the said cap.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1958 Rawlings et a1 5828X U.S.Cl. X.R. 5853, 88, 109

